If there was a biography about you, what would the title be?

It was a long time ago. An October month in 2000. I just joined in a news television as Senior Editor cum Producer.

Journalist in India are highly acclaimed jobs equal to professionals such as doctors, engineers, advocates and bureaucrats. People notice you and give you respect.

Journalists usually carry an ID and a whole lot of commercial houses such as hotels, cinemas and places of worship give them a free pass. That’s a bonus, and that comes with the job.

They display a printed readymade sticker ‘PRESS’ on the front windshield of cars so that police or security too pass them off quick. No needless stopping and searching.

I just joined and my office said they had run out of those stickers. They said I could buy one from the stores located close by.

As planned, I visited a decent looking store one day during a weekend.

I asked the person at the front desk if I could buy a sticker which read: PRESS.

The sales staff quickly went inside the store and brought a box.

He opened the box, threw down on the desk and bingo, there were a whole lot of stickers. All various sizes and colours.

He started looking for the one which I had just asked.

He quickly found many that read: PUSH and PULL.

He was sad and said, “sorry sir, I’ve got PUSH and PULL only. No PRESS. Visit us next week, please”.

I and my wife looked at each other and left the store in a jiffy.

We burst into a roaring laugh when we got inside the car. We were laughing all the way home.

A hearty laugh.